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Global Road Safety Week

WASHINGTON, DC — Today marks the first day of the inaugural Global Road Safety Week. A collaborative effort between the United Nations and the World Health Organization, the Week is themed “young road users” to reflect that young people make up one of the largest groups at risk for death, injury and disability on the road.

As a part of the event, the World Health Organization has released a new report, entitled Youth and Road Safety.

According to the report, most young people killed in road crashes are vulnerable road users – pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and passengers of public transport – with those from the African and Eastern Mediterranean regions most at risk.

The report states that in many parts of the world, children and young adults and other vulnerable road users have been given inadequate consideration in urban planning decisions. As a result, they are often forced to share transport space with motorized vehicles, increasing their chances of being involved in a road traffic crash.